Flood recovery moves to next tier

Governor urges hesitant victims to register for FEMA assistance

Governor urges hesitant victims to register for FEMA assistance

May 31, 2007|By Scott Waltman, American News Writer

The people most severely impacted by the early May storms have made their way through the state's disaster response centers, Gov. Mike Rounds said Wednesday. Now, people with less damage need to register for possible federal and state aid, Rounds said. Rounds said some people have been hesitant to register at the disaster response centers because they don't feel their homes sustained enough damage. But, he said, anybody who suffered any damage should register for possible help from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration and state programs. Aberdeen's disaster recover center is at the Washington Street Gym, 401 N. Washington St. Centers are also open in Redfield and Mitchell. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Through Tuesday night, Rounds said, the disaster recovery centers had registered more than 1,600 people. He said more than $500,000 in emergency food and clothing had been given to more than 500 people. People who need help recovering from the storms and floods can also call the state's disaster line at 1-866-737-8998 or visit the state's Web site at disasterrecovery .sd.gov. The FEMA disaster line is 1-800-621-3362. Rounds said FEMA will help the people who suffered the most from the storms. The Small Business Administration will help even more people. The governor said the state will work to help people those two agencies can't. Just because somebody has registered with FEMA does not mean she or he is registered with the state. All registration can be done at Washington Street Gym. Tom Gravlin, secretary of the state Department of Public Safety, said people who register at the disaster response centers need their Social Security numbers, household income, the Social Security numbers of others living in their home, insurance policy information and proof that a claim has been filed, damage documentation and more. Rounds said that even people who don't live in counties included in the federal disaster declaration should register with the state because the South Dakota disaster declaration covers a larger area than the federal one. FEMA inspectors can visit the damaged homes of people who have registered for federal assistance. According to information from FEMA, the inspectors will call to set up an appointment, and an inspection generally takes 30 to 40 minutes. Ricardo Zuniga, a FEMA public information officer stationed in Aberdeen, stressed that FEMA inspectors do not condemn homes. Nor do FEMA inspectors determine whether a registrant is eligible for assistance.